Multiple ring packer



Oct 1,. c. H. BARNES in AL 16,336

v MULTIPLE RING PACKER Filed July 15, 1939 2 Sieets-Sheet 1 1 INVENTORS CHARLES h! BAR/v IJOHN JUNG JR.

Ilium ill r v BY P -2 E ATTORNEY Oct 1,1940.

C. H. BARNES ET AL MULTIPLE RING PACKER Filed July 15, 1939 2 Sheets-$heet 2 11v Vlvroks CHARLES H. BARNEs JOHN You/v.6 J12 A TTORNE Y Patentedoct. '1, 1 940 I I UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE MULTIPLE RING PACKER Charles H. Barnes, Glendale, and John Young, Jr.,

Huntington Park, Calil'., assignors to Lane- Wells Company, Los Angeles, Call! a. corporation of Delaware Application July 15, 1939, Serial No. 234,660

5 Claims. (01. 166-12) Our invention relates to multiple ring pack- Figure 7 is an elevational view of a packer era for oil wells, and among the objects of our mandrel or body in which is incorporated a still invention are: i further modification of our device;

First, to provide a packer of the multiple ring Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view thereof,

5 type wherein packing rings and spacer rings are taken substantially through 8-8 of Figure 7 arranged alternately and wherein means are proand vided to insure proper separation of the spacer Figures 9, and '11 are transverse sectional rings upon withdrawing the packer, so as to perviews taken through 9-9, Ill-l0 and ll--| l, mit return of the'packing rings to their proper respectively, of Figure 7, showing in associa- 10 positions; tion therewith plan views of separate ring ele- 10 Second, to provide a separating ring spacer ments to illustrate the manner of their coac-- construction which is applicable to different tion with the special mandrel shown in Figtypes of multiple ring packers; ure 7. u

Third, to provide a means for association with Reference is first directed to Figures 1 and 2:

a well packer wherein proper spacing of the Here illustrated is a substantially conventional upper and lower ends of a packing element is type of multiple ring packer, such as shown in automatically accomplished upon withdrawing Patent No. 1,925,016; modified, however, to inthe packer from the well; corporate our invention. This packer comprises A Fourth, to provide a device of this characte a top collar I, the upperrend of which is threadwhich materially reduces the wear and damage ed for connection to a tubing string T and the 80 to packer rings and greatly increases the life lower end of which is threaded for connection to thereof; a tubular body or mandrel 2. v

' Fifth, to provide a device of this character Fitted around the mandrel 2, b low h p which in no manner interferes with the normal collar I, are a series of separator rings and packoperation of the packer with which it is ln-. er rings 3 and 4, r p y. arranged alt corporated, and Y nately. Below the series of separator rings and Sixth, to provide a multiple ring packer havpacker rin s i a p n p n w h fi s.

ing alternate packer rings and spacers or sepon its conical surface, a plurality of slips 6.

arator rings wherein, during movement of the These are connected by reins 'I to a cage 8 packer in the well casing, the uppermost spacer which comp es upp a lower collars 9 30 or separator ringis positively restrained against nected by bow springs l0. Secured to one of the downward movement against the packing rings collars 9 is a latching sleeve ll having a bayonet below, even though the upper spacer ring should slot l2 therein which coacts with a latching pin strike or bear against the casing wall. 13 secured in the mandrel 2.

With the above and other objects in view, The cone 5 is prov ded wi wa d ected at as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed sp s l4 and at its lower and pp to the drawings, in which: end, respectively, and the separator rings are Figure 1 is an elevational view of a packer, provi d wi h Spa r l T e n a e h with portions thereof shown in section and illusmandrel and hold th n and s a a r rin s 4 trating ,dur device; in concentric spaced relation with the mandrel 40 Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longito define passages I! for the purpose oi pertudinal sectional view thereof, taken through mitting flowof liquid through the packer dur- 2-2 of Figure 1, showing the packer in its t in movement of the packer in the well bore; position; i The packer structure as described above is Figure 3 is a fragmentar longitudinal se conventional. Our invention resides particu- 45 tional view similar to Figure 2, showing a modilarly in the provision of certain shoulders or fied form of, packer incorporating our device; stops on the man r l, 01 y, which co With Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view thereh pacer l 0f the 00118 and Separator rings. of through 4-4 of Flgure3; whereby, upon unsetting the packer and with- Figure 5 is another fragmentary longitudinal drawing the same from the hole, the cone and 50 sectional view similar to Figures 2 and 3, showspacer rings are caused to assume positions which ing aifurther modified form of our device; facilitate return 01! the packing rings to their Figure 6 is a similar longitudinal sectional normal position within the area of the spacer view showing said further modification as it aprings; more. specifically, the mandrel, or body, pears when the packer is set; 2 is provided with a flange 2| below the cone, 66

-upon which the cone rests when the slip and cage assembly is in its retracted position. The cone is held against the shoulder when the assembly is in its retracted position by reason of catches l8 provided on the slips which coact with an undercut flange l9 formed around the lower end of the cone 5.

The upper portion of the mandrel is provided with a shoulder 22, upon which the lugs I6 of the upper separator ring rest when the parts of the packer are in their normal or retracted position, shown in Figure 1. The packing "and separator ring assembly are tied by means of bolts 23 which extend upwardly through the spacer lugs. The heads of the bolts 23 are restrained by the upper spacer lugs H of the cone and the upper ends of the bolts are screwthreaded into the spacer lug l6 of the upper separator ring. The

bolts are of such length that when the cone rests upon the flange 2| and the upper spacer ring rests on the shoulder 22 the heads of the bolts are almost, but not quite, in engagement with the spacer lugs Hi. If, however, the flange 2| is omitted the bolts may function to limit downward movement of the cone.

The upper spacer ring and the top collar l are provided with confronting valve seat and valve face elements 24 and 25, respectively. When the packer is in a seated position these elements engage to seal the passages H, as shown best in Figure 2.

Operation of a packer incorporating our invention is as follows: The seating of the packer is accomplished in the conventional manner.

When the packer is seated the spacer rings and packing rings slide upwardly with respect to the mandrel until the upper spacer ring is in engagement with the top collar. The cone likewise moves upwardly so that both the cone and the upper spacer ring are clear of their flange 2| and shoulder 22, respectively. When unseating the packer for withdrawal the mandrel is pulled upwardly; the shoulder 22 first engages the upper separator ring 3, releasing the upper packing element, and continued upward movement causes either the flange 2| or heads of the bolts 23, or both, to lift upwardly on the cone 5 to withdraw it from between the slips. With the cone and the upper separator ring necessarily occupying the proper spaced relation with each other, a minimum amount of restraint is placed on the packing rings and consequently they readily contact to their initial position between the intermediate spacer rings.

While added advantage may be gained in providing means for moving the intermediate separator rings to their initial position (such means shown in the modified form to be described hereinafter), it is of primary practical importance to lift the upper ring for the reason that during the time the packer is set, sand or the. like may pack in around the upper separator ring. Thus, without the shoulder 22 the mandrel flange 2| is the only member acting to cause upward movement of-the cone and packer assembly. As a result, any wedging action or packing of the sand, or the like, around the top of the packing rings will prevent these members from returning to their normal position, causing them to wear against the walls of the casing and possibly hampering removal of the packer. In other words, a pulling rather than a pushing action is obtained by reason of the shoulder 22.

Heretofore, in the design of multiple ring packers the head or top collar i necessarily has had to have an outside diameter equal to the diameters of the spacer or separator rings and packer rings. This meant that the circulation area was limited to the clearance between the packer head and casing, and therefore, in part at least, nullifying the effect of the circulation space provided between the packer rings and mandrel.

By reason of the positive support afforded by the shoulder 22 the head or collar i may be of smaller diameter than the uppermost spacer ring, and the uppermost spacer ring may serve as the protecting means for the packer rings and other spacer rings below. The importance of this fea ture becomes apparent when it is realized that the packer is supported by relatively stiff tubing and moved through a well casing which often contains crooked places or dog legs. Under such conditions, which are the rule rather than the exception, the packer is forced against one side or the other of the casing and the pressure may amount to several hundred pounds. Without the shoulder 22, or the protection of a circulation obstructing collar above the spacer rings, very material difliculty would be encountered inwithdrawing the multiple ring packer.

Reference is now directed to Figures 3 and 4, in which our invention is shown in conjunction with another type of multiple ring packer and, in addition, means are shown whereby the intermediate separator rings are caused to assume their initial spaced relation upon release and withdrawal of the packer. More specifically, the packer shown in Figures 3 and 4 has parts corre-,- sponding to those previously described in relation to the packer shown in Figures 1 and 2; consequently, these corresponding parts are designated by similar reference characters but with the sumx a. Thus, the packing assembly comprises a series of separator rings 3a, between which fit packing rings 4a.

In this case the separator rings comprise major and minor cylindrical portions, the inner portions of which telescope within the major portionsof the adjacent ring so as to form channels to receive the packing rings which are likewise cylindrical in form and of substantially uniform thickness. With this construction the packing rings are deformed by compressing axially, whereas in the first described structure the packing rings are deformed by wedging them outwardly to increase their diameter. However, insofar as the function of our invention is concerned, either construction of packer operates the same. Some advantage is gained, however, in the use of our invention with the type of packer shown in Figures 3 and 4, in that this design permits the use of a larger body or mandrel, or the provision of more space between the spacer rings and mandrel for passages and the accommodation of our invention.

In the construction shown in Figures 3 and 4 a series of tie bolts 3| are substituted for the tie bolts 23. Each of the spacer lugs Ma, I51; and |6a are provided with two sets of holes therethrough, one threaded for the accommodation of the threaded ends of one set of spacer bolts 3| and the other set of holes adapted to receive the shanks of another set of tie bolts. Thus a first set of spacer bolts extend through the upper spacer lugs |5a of the cone 5a and into the lugs lGa of the adjacent separator ring 3a. A second set of tie bolts extend upwardly through the lugs I511 of the foremost separator ring and screwthread der 22a.

Operation of the structure shown in Figures 3 and 4 isas follows: The seating of the packer is accomplished in the ordinary manner. Upon release of the packer the mandrel is moved upwardly and the shoulder 22a engages the lugs I50. of the uppermost separator ring and, as soon as the slack occasioned by the telescoping movement of the upper separator ring with the adjacent separator ring has been taken up, the heads of the uppermost set of tie bolts link the upper and adjacent separator rings together so that the two members are drawn upwardly. This action continues until the lowermost set of tie bolts has engaged the cone. However, inasmuch as more force may be required to raise the cone than is necessary to move the separator rings upwardly, it is, preferred to rely on the flange 2la, rather than the lower set of tie bolts, to raise the cone.

Inasmuch as each separator ring, is limited in its movement with respect to the adjacent separator ring, it follows that they are automatically moved into their proper relationship to accommodate the packing rings when .the mandrel is 'moved upwardly, and no restraint is placed upon er spaced relationship upon withdrawal of the The construction diflfers from the prepacker. viously described structure in that a series of shoulders are provided on the mandrel in place of the sets of tie bolts 3i. Inasmuch as the packer parts are similar to the previous described I structures, similar parts are given similar reference characters with the added sufiix 12. Thus the several separator rings 3!) are interposed between packing rings db.

The packing assembly thusprovlded is pref crably in the form shown in FiguresB and4 in order to accommodate as large a mandrel as pos-' sible.

Themandrel 2b is provided, in addition to the shoulder 22b, with a series of additional shoulders 4| and 42, and the lugs lib of the separator rings are of such length as to support the separator rings on their respective shoulders. When so supported the rings are in their normal spaced relation for accommodation-of the packer rings.

When, however, after the packer has been seated and it is desired to remove the same, upward movement of the mandrel causes the shoulders to engage the separator rings in succession inight prevent their return to their normal posiion.-

Reference is now directed to the structure shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. In this construction the operation is substantially identical to that described in Figures 5 and 6, with the exception that the mandrel herein designated 20 is provided with diametrically oppositely disposed plates 5| which are welded or otherwise se cured thereto. The two plates increase circumferentially in steps which form shoulders 52, 53 and 54, corresponding in location to the shoulders 22b, 4| and 42 of the structure shown in Figures and 6. With'this arrangement the diameter of the mandrel is kept relatively small. In order to utilize the construction. the several separator rings 30 are provided with special lugs 55, 5B and 51, so spaced circumferentially as to Operation of the packer with this constructionis, of course, similar to that previously described.

Various changes and alternate arrangements may be made within the scope oi? the appended claims, in which it is our intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention as broadly as the prior art permits.

We claim:

1. A multiple ring packer comprising: a mandrel; a packer assembly mounted around said mandrel; an anchor means associated with said mandrel and engageable with a surrounding casing to support said packing assembly when said packer is set; said packer assembly including a plurality, of separator rings and packer rings arranged alternately, the separator rings being spaced from said mandrel to define a circulation passage; a packer head mounted on said mandrel above said packer assembly; valve means incorporating the packer head and uppermost separator ring for controlling said passage;-and positive stop means operatively associated with at least said upper separator ring for positively limiting movement of said separator ring with respect to said packer head, whereby downward load upon said upper separator ring cannot be transmitted to the other separator rings and packer rings.

2. A multiple ring packer comprising: a plurality of separator rings arranged coaxially and having a normal expanded portion when said packer is unset and a contracted position when said packer is set; packer rings between said separator rings adapted to be urged, upon compression of said separator rings, into contact with a surrounding casing; and a mandrel ex-- tending through said rings, said mandrel having a plurality of shoulders engageable by said separator rings and tending to urge them into equal-'- ly spaced relation upon releasing the packer.

,3.'A well packer including: a mandrel having spaced shoulders formed thereon; a series of .spacer rings slidably mounted on said mandrel between said shoulders, the uppermost and lowermost spacer rings adapted normally to rest on the respectiye shoulders but capable of upward movement relative to the mandrel; tie means connecting said spacers to limit relative axial expan sion thereof; yieldable and resilient packing elements between the'several spacer rings adapted, upon axial contraction of said rings, to expand radially, said spacer rings having relatively telescoping major and minor diametered cylindrical portions deflninig contractable channels therebetween; yieldable and resilient packcoact with shoulders 52, 53 and 54, respectively. 1

ing elements filling said channels; and means for telescoping said spacer rings. v

4. A well packer including: a mandrel having spaced shoulders formed thereon; a series of spacer rings slidably mounted on said mandrel between said shoulders, the uppermost and lowermost spacer rings adapted normally to rest on the respective shoulders but capable of upward movement relative to the mandrel, all of the intermediate of said spacer rings having relatively telescoping major and minor diametered cylindrical portions defining contractable channels therebetween; tie means connecting said spacers to limit relative axial expansion thereof and to maintain said rings in telescopic relation; yieldable and resilient packing elements filling said channels; and means for telescoping said spacer rings.

5. A multiple ring packer comprising: a packer head; a mandrel depending therefrom; a plurality of separator and packer rings slidably mounted around said mandrel and forming therewith a circulation passage; valve means incorporating the upper separator ring and said packer head, said packer head having a smaller diameter than said upper separator ring in approximate proportion to the area of said circulation passage; and stop means for positively limiting movement of said upper separator ring away from said packer head, and said stop means being engageable by said upper separator ring when said packer is being moved in a well bore, whereby said upper separator ring is restrained against transmitting loads to the other separator rings or packer rings.

CHARLES H. BARNES. JOHN YOUNG, JR. 

